Improvement in grain-drills



B. OWEN.

GRAIN-DRILL. 1\Io.173,809.. 1 Patented Feb. 2z,

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fm/ v f I :a/7a@ Www@ N- PETERS. PHcTAO-LITHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D C.

UNITED S'ra'I'Es PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN OWEN, OF DAYTON, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN GRAIN-DRILLS.`

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 173,809. dated February 22, 1876; application tiled June 26, 1875.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN OWEN, of Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grain-Drills; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

This invention relates to that class of drills in which the hoes are adjustable, so as to be shifted from a straight to a zigzag line, or vice versa 5 and my improvement consists in the arrangement of, and mechanism for,op

erating two pivoted bars, to which the dragbars are attached; also, in a distributing- Wheel for forcing the grain into the spouts; and in an adjustable gage-slide, as will be herewith described, referring to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a plan view of a `grain-drill provided with my improvements. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same with a wheel removed and a portion broken away to show a sectionalview of the shifting devices. Fig. 3 is aside view of my improved agitator or distributing-wheel.

Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

To the usual frame-work of a drilLare attached, in the customary manner, the supporting-wheels A and seedbox B. C C represent two bearing-blocks securely bolted to the side beams D, near the front cross-bar E. Parallel to this bar, and just in its rear, are the adjustable cross-bars F F', to which the drag-bars f are attached alteznately, one-half to the bar F and the remainder to the bar F. The bars are supported and held in place by the metal arms a a', Fig. 2, which are securely bolted to their ends, and pivoted atb b to the bearing-blocks C. By reference to Fig. 2 the shape of these arms is clearly shown, provided at their tops with segments of pinions which engage with each other, so that one bar cannot be moved without the other. rlhe arms a extend upward above the frame of the drill, and are connected by a cross-piece, G. By means of this cross-piece nthe driver can have perfect control of the shiftin g mechanism without leaving` his seat, and can operate it with his feet, the bar serving also as a brace.

It will be noticed that, by having the adjustable bars connected andso arranged that the one cannot be moved without the other,`

and when moved they approach or'recede from each other-that is, movein opposite directions -very little power is required to keep them in 'any desired position, for, as the draft upon the hoes is equal, the same force is exerted upon the bars equally, and tends to keep them in whatsoever position they may have been placed. Should, however, any unequal strain occur, the foot of the driver upon the bar G is sufficient to counteract it.

H represents my distributing-wheel, which is so constructed as to form a constantly-acting agitator and a direct force-feeder. These wheels are keyed upon the shaft I, and revolve in the bottom of the seed-box, just over the apertures leading to the spouts. Fig. 3 shows a side elevation of this improved agitator, which is composed of a hub with radiallyprojecting arms or spokes, supporting a periphery of the shape shown in Fig. 1. The outside edges ofthe periphery consist of what might be termed bulging-ribs, or, more correctly, a series of double convex arms between each spoke of the wheel with an elliptical opening between each pair. By means of the irregular shape of the wheel the grain in the seed-box is kept in constant agitation, and a sufficient quantity forced through the aperture -into the spout without any liability of crush- Y ing the kernels.

An important feature of my invention is the arrangement of the gage-slide K, Fig. l, in connection with the above-described agitatingwheel, and a registering-index by which the quantity of grain to be drilled can be regulated; though I lay no` claim to the slide or index independently. The slide is so arranged that the aperture opens from the side of the distributingwheel toward the center of its periphery. By this means, and by the employment of the particularly-constructed agitating device, when `but a small quantity is to be drilled the forcing-power of the Wheel is very slight, as the aperture is near its outer edge and not in thecenter, where it would be subjected to the full power exerted by the wheel. The opening is represented by c, and the dotted lines show the position of the slide when fully opened.

L, Figs. 1 and 2, is a rearwardly-extending arm or lever, pivoted to the beam d at eFig 2, and connected to' the gage-slide by meansv of a pin,f, working in a slot in the lever. A thumb-nut, g, conned in a segmental slot, h, Fig. 1, is used as a clamp to hold the lever in any required position when the gage-slide is regulated.

M is a pointer, used vas an index, with a graduated scalevupon the end of the beam d, by which the quantity of grain to be -drilled can be regulated with pleasure'.

Having fully described my. invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination and arrangement of the bars F F', arms a a', and cross-bar G, wherewith the driver, by means of his foot, is enabledto shift the hoes at will and retain them in any desired position, substantially as described.

2. Thedistributin g feed-wheelH, having its periphery composed ofaseries of? double coucavo-convex arms, forming an elliptical opening between each pair, substantially as de- -EENJAMIN OWEN.v

Witnesses J. P. WHITMORE, CHAs. M'. PECK. 

